2025 Retreat Speakers

Dr. Basile has served as the technical writer for the AICPA’s one and only Statement on Standards of Valuation Services and has published several articles regarding relevant topics such as dealing with the criminal investigation division of the IRS, court decisions regarding S corporations stock valuations. Dr. Basile’s doctoral dissertation won a national research award as the Most Outstanding Dissertation in Business Education in 2001 and his research has been published in the accounting, taxation, education, and legal journals. Dr. Basile has also been an expert witness in many cases involving business valuations and forensic accounting.

Dr. Basile has been a professor at Hofstra University for over 30 years, teaching courses in forensic accounting, fraud, auditing, accounting information systems, and taxation. He was faculty advisor to the Tax Society’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for over 25 years where he was recognized by the IRS for his service. The program trains student on how to prepare individual income tax returns and then provide the service for free to economically disadvantaged taxpayers.

Dr. Basile has also presented numerous professional topics to the business community such as business valuations, retirement planning, stock options, divorce settlements, federal government shutdowns, sales tax issues and the accountant’s role as business advisor to multiple professional organizations on Long Island.

Dr. Basile's dedication and commitment to students was recognized by the NYSSCPA in 2015 when he was awarded the Samuel Traum Award, an award given for his contributions over his career to the advancement of students, women, and minorities. He also received the statewide New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSCCPA’s), Dr. Emanuel Saxe Outstanding CPA in Education Award in 2021. He is frequently quoted in radio media outlets such as NPR Radio, RNN TV News, Newradio 880-AM, WLIE-540, WGBB 1240, B103.1, and WRHU 88.7, print media such as Newsday, The New York Times, and Long Island Business News, and television media such as News 12-Long Island, Fox5-NY, NY1, NBC News, and TV-55 where he has discussed various technical accounting and taxation topics. In 2017, he was also recognized by Long Island Business News as part of Long Island’s movers and shakers. Dr. Basile is the Past President of the Nassau Chapter of the New York State Society of CPA’s and currently serves as a Board Member of the New York State Board of Public Accountancy, a regulatory Board of the Regents of the State of New York which oversees the CPA license in New York State.

Elizabeth advises clients on complex financial disputes where there are assets in multiple jurisdictions, including offshore trusts, and on domestic and multi-jurisdictional pre- and post-nuptial agreements. She also represents parents in disputes concerning children and has a particular interest in cases involving the international relocation.

Elizabeth was admitted as a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers in May 2021, and served as Counsel from 2023 to 2025. She is a qualified collaborative lawyer and is ranked in Chambers HNW 'Matrimonial Finance: Ultra High Net Worth'. She speaks fluent French and has a good working knowledge of Portuguese and Spanish.

Sharon also heads Wilmington Trust’s National Matrimonial/Divorce Advisory Practice. Sharon has over 25 years of experience in the wealth advisory arena and is a nationally recognized speaker and author.

Global media company Forbes has featured Sharon as a Top Advisor in multiple categories since 2020. Every year since 2022 she was chosen as one of the Top Women Wealth Advisors in America and in New York, and in 2025 she was named the #1 Woman Wealth Advisor in New York City for High-NetWorth. Leading business publication Crain’s named Sharon to its 2020 inaugural list of the Most Notable Women in Financial Advice. In 2023 and 2024, Sharon was chosen as a Leading High Net Worth Wealth Manager by Chambers, an internationally renowned independent ranking company. In 2018, she was honored by the UJA-Federation of New York Lawyers Division for her contributions to the trusts & estates community and the community at large. Sharon is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a highly selective professional organization of preeminent estate planning attorneys in the U.S. and internationally. Sharon was inducted into the Estate Planning Hall of Fame in 2021. This award is considered the pinnacle of accomplishment in this field. Only 125 people across the U.S. have received this award since its inception in 2004. Sharon is a member of The Rockefeller University Committee on Trust and Estate Gift Plans, the New York Bankers Association Trust & Investment Division Executive Committee, the Estates, Gifts and Trusts Advisory Board for The Bureau of National Affairs and the Thomson Reuters Trusts & Estates Advisory Board. She chairs the Domestic Relations Committee of Trusts & Estates magazine, where she sits on the Board, and is on the Advisory Board of Family Lawyer Magazine. She served on the Board of the American Brain Foundation and was a member of its Finance Committee.

Prior to joining Wilmington Trust, Sharon was Managing Director at Lazard, the internationally renowned global investment banking and management company. As Head of Wealth Advisory of Lazard Wealth Management, she led the delivery of all wealth advisory services. Before that, she headed the Estate department at Fiduciary Trust Company International. Sharon began her career as a trusts & estates attorney at Rosenman & Colin (now Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP).

Sharon, who holds U.S., British, and Australian citizenships, earned a master of laws from the University of California, Berkeley Law School, received a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of laws from the University of New South Wales, Australia and is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst.